Country pool

THERE have been rumblings around about potential upgrades to the Woodside pool, also known as the Adelaide Hills War Memorial Swimming Pool.

I spent the summers of my youth learning to swim at the outdoor Williamstown swimming pool, and now as a parent we spend many spring and summer afternoons at the Woodside pool.

The Woodside pool is everything you want in a country pool – plenty of lawn to picnic on, different pools for different swimming levels, a good canteen, and excellent staff.

There’s no argument that it’s a fundamental part of our region.

One of the proposals for the Woodside pool is to enclose it to make it useable in winter. You might call me a stick-in-the-mud, but I wonder whether our beautiful country pool will turn into just another indoor swimming centre.

Mt Barker is about to receive a regional indoor aquatic and leisure centre expected to cost $22.3m.

Perhaps this will suffice to service swimmers in the winter months.

I’d be interested to hear what other residents think about the proposal to enclose the Woodside pool.

Is it a loss for our rural lifestyle, or is winter swimming desperately needed?

Melanie Selwood, Lobethal